His Other Woman
by StudyInViolet
Summary: For FS Rom Com Challenge on Tumblr. When Leo Fitz arrives at SHEILD offices for mysterious reason, the whole office is aflutter about what he's up to and no one is more curious than Jemma Simmons.


His Other Woman

* * *

It was on a perfectly mild late autumn day when Leo Fitz walked into SHEILD's above ground offices. He walked in with nothing more than satchel slung absently over his shoulder, in rumpled sweater vest and tie. And it was such a simple appearance that did nothing but attract attention.

When he stepped into the elevator, Hunter gave him one look and asked. "Going down?"

"Up actually. " Fitz said to preoccupied with the glowing light panel, "going to see a man name Coulson."

"The Director?" Hunter declared his eyes.

"I think that's how he was introduced to me."

Others joined the elevator cutting short the conversation.

This left Hunter in a state of great curiosity as his eyes kept drifting to the other man, wondering who exactly he might be. A scientists, heading to the top? And he wasn't even that well known, for while Hunter wasn't as knowledgeable as his fellow colleagues he knew what important people looked like, and this stranger was not.

This was fact that Fitz appeared quite out of place as he calmly entered the executive floor, where clearance level 8 was the bare minimal to place you there.

Other eyes drifted towards him and Fitz stopped at the desk of Anne Weaver.

"Is Director Coulson is in the office."

"His secretary in through there," Anne Weaver replied rather crisply.

"Ah," Fitz bumbled seeing the nameplate on the door, "I see."

As he left, Weaver kept her eyes on her terminal, sending a quick message to her fellow agent Hand. "There's a person up on the executive suite who shouldn't be here. Who is he and how did he get pass security?"

* * *

Inside the office, Daisy tapped away at her terminal in the midst of the highly important mission of cutting through the firewalls to allow a computer generated game of candy pieces to be played without both alerting the system and not interfere with other system.

When the door opened and the young man entered, she hastily switched her screens to something a bit more work appropriate.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Director Coulson."

"I'm sorry," Daisy tapped to pull up the schedule, "I'm afraid you can't."

"I had an appointment," Fitz adjusting his collar in concern, "he's expecting me, I'm Leo Fitz."

"Coulson is expecting you," Daisy replied, "but tomorrow. You're a whole day early and he's up to his neck in appointments. I think he might have some time later on if you like to wait." She glanced at the schedule, "you're free to wait here."

"I don't think so," Fitz said glancing around the office. "Which floor is the research division?"

"Level B3. Did you want someone to show you the way?"

"I think I can figure it out. Oh and your workstation is all backwards. The light comes in the wrong way, mid-afternoon and your monitors are flood with light no matter how you angle it."

Daisy looked over at him, an expression revealing the truth in his words. "How did you know?"

Fitz however was already exiting the room.

Daisy settled back behind her terminal and for the moment forgot about her program for another more important mission.

* * *

Down in the research and development division, Bobbi absently fiddle with her knee brace as listened the Norwegian ambassador speak about agreements for 084.

The agent in the field, Joey was an expert in getting out of trouble, but the finer points in diplomacy was no one of his strengths. He could melt bullets and diamante equipment with each, but the point of this mission was to not use brute force. Which is why Bobbi was rattling advice into his ear. Naturally if she could go in the field she'd be with him, but interesting enough since she started rehab there had been number of SHEILD missions that required diplomacy and the finer touch.

It kept her busy and more importantly kept her in the office.

With another mission negotiation going through, Bobbi switched her headpiece on device on standby.

Across the office space, May was flexing her hand into the latest gloves that Mack had dropped off. Later that afternoon she'll go into the simulation room to try out the latest gear. By her herself since even the lowest of operatives knew better to stay out the way.

Elena zipped around in the archives above, collecting and rearranging research for the latest project that had come from upstairs. Every so often Bobbi would catch snatches of bits of English drifting down from the room that had been growing less stilted over the weeks since she joined.

Seeing the blinking light on her phone, Bobbi switched.

"Hello?"

"Bobbi? It's, Daisy. You got a visitor coming your way."

"Tell me it's not Hunter, because after the last after work gathering I don't want to-"

"It's not Hunter, it's not anyone I know, or any one on Shield docket."

"Who is it this mysterious person?"

"A man, Leo Fitz. He doesn't look interesting, but he has an appointment with Coulson. I just got off the phone with the director, and you know he the meeting with ACTU that suppose to go on all day?"

"So they can talk about Inhumans, the Sokovia accords, and other earth shattering things going in the world?

"Yeah all that fun stuff, " Daisy said, "well Coulson just told me to get him out of it, said he wants to speak with this Fitz guy as soon as he can."

"That cool and all," Bobbi said, "but why is he coming here?"

"That's what I want you to find out, since I can't even get out from Coulson what this guys does."

The door opened to the R&D and Fitz walk through.

May, at her desk, pulled off the glove, her eyes following the young man.

Bobbi for her part sat up straight, adjusting the phone at her ear. "That's very good, tell me about this at a later time."

"Oh he's here isn't," Daisy said cheerfully, "tell me all about it the moment you can."

"I will," Bobbi said, "call back soon."

She ended the call and said rather cheerfully to the stranger in the department. "Hello."

"Hello," Fitz stood in the center of the room, his eyes roving around from the equipments to archive above. He walked around, counting his steps as he did, pausing to skirt around the table. "Do you have tape measure, " he asked May.

May looked at him with a long measured glance before replying. "No."

"I have one," Bobbi reached over to her desk, she fumbled a bit, hiding a wince as her knees gave a painful twitched. She hobbled over to hand it over to Fitz.

"Thank you," Fitz said vaguely, his words trailing off.

"Bobbi." She supplied.

"Thank you, Bobbi," Fitz said, "and that brace on your leg made of lighter material since it's hindering your headlining."

"Are you a doctor?"

"Not a medical one." Fitz turned on the tape measure, the faint luster glow appeared above his hand. "I'm an engineer of sorts."

"Of sorts?" Bobbi asked.

"Engineer." Elena popped up quietly suddenly, startling Bobbi who should have been used to such antics but now. However the mysterious Leo Fitz remained unmoved, his attention drawn to the archives above.

"Are you here to install something?"

"Something," Fitz echoed. "Who's in charge here?"

"Dr. Simmons but she's not in the office right now."

"For the day?"

"She should be in later."

"Good, I'll wait for her." His attention finally turned to the lab. "do you think I can take a look around?"

"Go ahead," May said frostily, "don't let us stop you."

Fitz nodded missing the subtext into the words and slipped inside the lab. The lab tech, busy in their reading and scanning paused briefly in their work, but Fitz paid them no more attention than he had done to Bobbi and the others.

"Who the hell is that," May said to Bobbi, "and what is he doing down here?"

"I don't know, Daisy doesn't either."

"Daisy doesn't know something." Elena said, "that is very strange."

"Strange is not the word I used, it's alarming." May said, "he had clearance to be here. Does he enough know what this place is?"

"He must," Bobbi said. "he had meeting with Coulson tomorrow. But he arrived a day earlier, and the director throwing out his schedule to see him today."

The three agents watched as the strange young man moved about the lab, getting eyeball to eyeball with Simmons's specimens.

"I don't know who he is, but he's Simmons' problem," May said.

"I'll be sure to tell her when she gets in."

* * *

Jemma Simmons arrived in the SHILD offices, with her latest specimen under her arm. It had been a very productive morning as she attended a lecture and demonstration by Dr. Radcliffe and she had just enough time before arriving at the office to pick up a few things.

She didn't notice the wary looks in the offices, or that Hunter was asking as if she had seen anything unusual around the office.

She had little contact with him outside interaction s with Mack and Trip down in the garage. Hunter had been a suitable test subjects for some of the experimental weaponry May tried out, although the onsite doctor, Lincoln suggested after Hunter's last concussion to find other job duties.

Jemma sailed into R&D and found her fellow co-workers huddled together talking amongst themselves. This, while not extraordinary was unusual for the group during business hours. And Jemma frowned wondering what sort or crisis had befallen SHEDIL in her absences.

"What going on?"

"Simmons!" the group turned her, "there you are! Where have you been?"

"I told I was going to be late and –"

Bobbi hobbled over to her side, while Elena zipped about taking Jemma's coat and specimen jar, dropping them both out of sight.

"You have a visitor."

"Who?"

"We don't know. Someone named Leo Fitz."

"Who he's?"

"No one knows," May added, "but he's in your lab waiting for you the last twenty minutes. So look like you've been busy."

She laughed. "what has he done to get you all so worried?"

"Nothing, but you know this the place they you to get rid of you. You're the only one that's safe, with your research into toxins and antiserums."

"I think you're all overreacting."

May lifted an eyebrow, and Jemma added hastily.

"All of you except for May are overreacting. It's probably nothing. Just someone on retainer to look at all the good work we've done."

"Well go and find out what he wants," Bobbi encouraged.

"I will. May I have my specimen back please?"

Elena moved and in the flash the specimen jar was in her hand.

"What that's anyway?"

"Cat liver."

Elena blanched, but Jemma didn't notice as she opened the door into the lab.

The two lab techs inside, both looked up at her arrival. Not that they were working in the first place. Both were idling by their station watching as the stranger in the lab moved about staring at the terminals, comparing notes with a tablet in his hands.

Jemma watched for several moments before clearing her throat.

"You wished to speak to me?"

The enigmatic Leo Fitz looked up, his brows furrowed together as if expecting someone else. Jemma was use to this reaction. Being the opposite of old, crabby, male that was expected to preside in the labs.

"You're Dr. Simmons?"

"Yes, I am."

"I'm Leo Fitz."

"Pleasure, to meet you. Is it short for Leomaris or Leopold?"

"Pardon?"

"I'm assuming you shorten your name because it's unwieldy. Although there's nothing wrong with it." Jemma said breezing along. She went to the lab techs, looking over the research they were doing with parasites. "You might want to run these down to the Lincoln, he was interested into the effects."

As the techs left, Jemma glanced over the readout. "I hope you not here to borrow the people in my department, we're under a quiet crunch."

"Actually, I've come to –"

"Oh do take a care," Jemma said suddenly realizing how close he stood next to the vat, "that prototype that's been very violate lately."

"How violate?"

"Well the time it was used it knocked a person out for a week."

Fitz moved aside, and cleared his throat. "Dr. Simmons?"

"Just Simmons," Jemma reached over to pull on a pair gloves as she walked around the lab, to back corner, " no need to be formal, Mr. Fitz."

"I'm a doctor myself."

"In what?" Jemma pulled out a can, pouring contents.

"Engineering ."

"How fascinating." She opened the lid of a drawer and a thick vine shot out. Fitz jumped back, but Jemma absently patted it aside. "Now, Seymour behave," she said before dunking the jar inside. She closed the lid and there was a rather loud burp.

"Shouldn't you called it Audrey," Fitz said absently.

"Seymour was the real monster," Jemma replied. "So Dr. Fitz."

"Just Fitz."

"Yes, just Fitz, what sort of Engineering do you do for the Company?"

"I don't work for the company. I'm more of contractor assigned for special work."

"What sort of work?"

The lab door opened and Bobbi poked her head in. "The Director's on line one, said he's available to see you."

"You best be off," Jemma said, "he's an awfully busy man."

"Why don't we have our conversation later," Fitz said, "how's the rest of your day?"

"Rather full I'm afraid."

"Then how about lunch? I'll meet you half past?"

"Yes," Jemma nodded, "I'll be right here."

"Till then, Simmons."

Fitz left the lab, spotting only to hand Bobbi back her tape measure.

Bobbi lingered at the door, shooting Jemma a smile.

"What's that smile for?"

"You agreed to lunch."

"I agreed to work through lunch," Jemma said, "I find it very odd he world insist, let alone come down here. What would an engineer have interest in a research department?"

"Well I'm sure you can find out over lunch. I'm just surprised. You forgot about Will Daniels."

"Milton!" Jemma remarked somewhat amused, "Not this again, can't you let it go."

"Not a chance."

* * *

Daisy was dutifully rearranging her desk, mostly because she did find improvement in moving and mostly to give her an excuse to be a bit closer that she usual was to towards the door.

The stranger Fitz had returned and she was annoyed by him. For goodness she sake she had managed to dig up information of people who didn't exist according to some people and she knew more. About them. But Fitz, she knew nothing, nothing that told her anything why Coulson had her overthrow his entire schedule to see him.

Daisy edged closer to the door, obstinately holding a metal basket, as she did Fitz crossed the room, and closed the door.

* * *

"You can observe the entire R&D department if you like," Coulson said eagerly, "if it's going to help. Just promise me one thing. Don't let them know."

"I'm not sure that would be wise," Fitz said, "they seemed very observant."

"and chatty. I'm sure noticed, that this place spreads news like a communicative disease, and if you're not careful the mass hysteria that follows is much the same."

"I understand sir."

"Good." Coulson nodded, "now how long did say before it was ready?

* * *

Jemma placed the receiver happily down and hurried out the room. Only Bobbi with her injured knee propped up on the stool was in the room.

Which was good enough, as nether Elena nor May would find much interest in the news that was bursting out of her to tell.

"Bobbi," Jemma declared, "did you that-"

Bobbi held up a finger pointing to her Bluetooth. "Tell me you didn't agree to drink with ambassador."

Knowing that this call might take a bit, Jemma returned to go back to lab, when the phone on Elena's desk rang.

Expected to see the other woman zoom down to pick up., after a few rings, Jemma picked up. "Hello?" she, "name and number please?"

As she juggled the phone to input the caller's id, Fitz strolled back into the room swinging a bag in his hand.

A bit early for lunch?

"Yes, you're having issues dismantling the safe?" she said, "no," she said rather sharply to Deathlock, "you can't destroy the safe you'll do undo damage. Describe it to me."

As Deathlock walked her through the safe in question, she watched as Fitz made a circuit around the room, only to stop at once of the desk.

Bobbi was similarly following his as well, but her glance over at Jemma wasn't as much as curious as it was devious.

"Do that exactly," she said giving the finally instructions, "and it should work."

She hung up and approached Fitz, suppressing an urge to smooth back her hair.

"You're early."

"Am I? I suppose I was bit eager to finish our conversation. Your director is a busy man."

"Not busy enough to spare time with you." Jemma glanced at her watch, making a big show of the remaining time before her usual lunch hour. " I suppose this place won't fall apart without me if I leave early."

"If it does, you'll be back to pick up the pieces," Bobbi called.

Jemma laughed before seeing the expression on Fitz's face.

"Shall we?" she said.

"Yes, and bring your coat with you," he added.

"Are we going out?"

"Up actually."

Jemma did her best to avoid Bobbi's curious gaze, but she was powerless to stop the other woman to leap at once to her phone, to inform someone, Daisy most likely about this turn events.

Hunter was getting off the lift when they approached and upon seeing Jemma accompanied by the enigmatic Fitz, actually back up to watch them with unabashed curiosity.

Thankfully he didn't get back on, though she suspected he went straight to R&D with the gossip.

A chill wind struck her face the moment she stepped on the roof.

Fitz however breathed in deeply, beaming at the leave covered tables and chairs.

"What a nice place,'

"Yes," Jemma remarked eye what appeared to be a bit of frost that hadn't had a chance to melt given the long shadows of the neighboring buildings, "it's rather nice place, loads of people come up during the summer."

"Which makes it even better now, since it's not crowded. This will do nicely."

He went over chare and dusted it off, and gallantly held out a chair for Jemma to take a seat.

"I don't think I asked before, you run R&D?"

"I just headed the science department," Jemma replied as she gingerly took a seat. "Which you should no even if you're on contract with the company."

Fitz paused in the prospect of opening the brown bag he carried. "I never said that."

"I easily deduced that. From a number of things, starting with the fact you went to the terrible sandwich place. They only give you one napkin and never pickles."

"I don't like pickles."

"Neither do I, but it's part of good service." "So my choice in lunch is lacking."

"There's also the fact that there is little information about you other than the fact that you graduated from MIT, you landed an internship at Stark Industries, and were an expert witness for case for Jennifer Walters. A few minor things," she said at his raised eyebrows, "but I only had a few minutes to spare between my work."

"Impressive." Fitz said. "soup?" he said holding up the container.

Jemma nodded, taking, it holding to more in her hand to wards off the cold.

Fitz took a healthy bite about of his sandwich and pulled out a tablet. "Dr Simmons."

"Just Simmons," she corrected.

"Yes, I forget, Simmons," he said with a flash of smile at her name, "you mind answering a few questions for me?"

"Is this why you brought me out here?"

"Well you don't have to have two PHDs to know the mind works better with fewer distractions." He cleared his throat and before she could say a word he glanced at tablet. "Imagine for a moment you are working in a library-"

"What sort of library, a public or university library?"

"Does it matter?"

"It matters based the day to day business of patrons? Or," she added seeing his expression, "is the question irrelevant?"

"Extraneous information."

"Do go on then."

"Imagine you're working at a library," he glanced up at her with a wry smile, "a public library. You check out fifteen books to a patron, but he has only two small bags that can only fit five in each one. What does he do with the books?"

"He put ten books in bags and carries the rest in his arms," Jemma said, "or leaves them on the holding desk."

"Very good," Fitz murmured. "next question. A woman comes up to the desk-"

"Is this sill at the library?"

"Yes, still at the library."

"A woman comes up to the desk, and saying she visited Mt. Fuji and wonder where she should visit next? She says she doesn't like heights."

"I would suggest the Taj Mahal," Jemma replied as she broke off a bit of her sandwich, "but no one climbs Mt. Fiji anyway."

"I didn't ask about climbing."

"But it was implied by the mention of heights." Jemma smiled at his started look. "Next question?"

"Next question," Fitz tapped his screen, "an aspiring comic comes up to the desk to ask if the following joke was funny, 'I wasn't going to get a brain transplant and then I changed my mind.' What's your reaction?"

"Well if you say it like that it's hardly amusing at all," Jemma said. "Although why a comic thought a librarian could be an expert is beyond my reasons. But it is mildly amusing."

"Moving on," Fitz said, "final question, you overhear an argument in the library, at which a person cries out, "we'll burn that bridge when we get to it." Do you call the police or not?"

"No because it's fusing of two idioms. And also, this fictional librarian I working as, isn't at the circulation desk but situated in the main lobby."

"I didn't ask about that."

"Well I like to be very through in my pretended exercises, also," Jemma finished her sandwich very neatly, "can you tell me how well did your LMD pass the Turing test?"

"Well she didn't do so-" Fitz stopped, his mouth falling open as he stared opening at her.

"How did you know?"

"I may only had an hour or so to find scrapes of information about you, but this morning I say a demonstration by a Dr. Radcliff with a top of line LMD he called Koenig. Some of the questions asked were much similar, although more conversational."

"Well," Fitz admitted putting the tablet away meeting Jemma's eyes in almost sheepish manner. The expression made him much younger than she first thought he might be, but it did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm in his bright eyes. "I didn't want to be too obvious. I hope you don't mind the questions."

"I don't mind at all," Jemma asked, "other than why you're asking them."

"More research," Fitz replied and Jemma noted how his eyes skated away from her face, or he could have noted the birds that had fluttered down in the hopes of stealing away the remnants of their meal. "Your director brought me here because of how you research and use information, and it'll be valuable for the calibration for her."

"Her?" Jemma asked noting his previous use of a pronoun.

"Aida."

He said it as name, warm and gently, as if wasn't talking about an advance AI, but a person.

"A woman," Jemma teased. "you seem quite fond of her."

"Aida isn't like any other woman at all," Fitz gushed, "in moments she'll be the foremost expert in Shakespearean authorship and in the next a mixologist. She's able to understand the complexity of Inhumans biology and managed Tony Stark's affairs. And that's just the surface."

"What's she programmed for," Jemma said, "you have to feed her information, she become exactly what you want her to be."

"You're thinking of a standard computer, but a LMD, but Aida takes the information," Fitz's expression was almost reverent. "and transforms it by acting upon the information."

"Amazing," Jemma said dryly.

"I know," he nodded, missing her sarcasm.

Jemma didn't mind it so much.

It was rare that she ran across anyone in her field or related fields that had a sense of wonder. Jemma had come to SHEILD with insatiable curiosity for all the wonder and oddities to be found, but after a stint with Operation Maveth, Jemma found the archives and laboratory of R&D both comforting and barrier to the dangerous world out there.

But talking to Fitz, talking to him about this LMD, the AI that had the potential to be so humanlike, had her mind her whirling with the possibilities that not only this Aida could bring but what Jemma own research could bring.

And it was exciting.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Fitz had become a fixture in R&D. Whether he was floating around the archives stacks pursing the old gathered research, or sitting in listening to Bobbi and May make their calls.

He never said much. And when he did it was these comments that come out of bloom, much like how Elena would jump in out of place. But unlike Elena's movement that were expected, there always seemed a bit surprised when Fitz reminded them all that they were here.

It was odd at first.

He mostly sat there observing until one day when Mack and Lance were struggling with a new weapon that May had rejected since it was not up to standard, he pointed out a few things that made everything fall into place.

Then in one moment instead of a stranger, he was familiar face, until Jemma kept forgetting he wasn't officially employed at lab.

"Don't be such a baby, you're the one who said you wanted to observe all the details of my work." Jemma said as she adjusted her goggles. He was thoroughly wrapped up in protective gear, although the cadaver on the table had died of perfectly natural cause. It was just what was in implanted in his brain before he died that was unusual.

Fitz gulped as Jemma tested out the bone saw, and turned rather hastily.

"So," he said as she began, "seen any good movies lately?"

"Not particularly," Jemma frowned as she concentrated ,"I have any to go with, with problem since I don't like going to movies alone."

"What about your boyfriend?"

"What boyfriend," Jemma admiring the clean cut she had made, "oh you've been talking to Bobbi. Will Daniels isn't boyfriend. It was joke I made, I thought I was being clever. Spending a Friday night with Will Daniels is shorthand for spending reading a Shakespearean play with a bottle of Jack Daniels."

He laughed, and she looked up surprised since it wasn't even that good of a joke, considering Bobbi hadn't let her hear the end of it sense.

But there odd cast to his features while he laughed, as if he was laughing more about himself than her.

Jemma joined him briefly in the laugh, before asking him to hand her the tray she was going to stick the brains in.

* * *

"I think the good man deserves this one," Hunter said solemnly as he topped off Fitz's cup. "You stood in there the entire time our Dr. Simmons was hacking open a skull."

"No he doesn't," Fitz pushed the cup away, "I need my wits about."

"Don't force him," Mack laughed as Daisy reached over to take the spurned cup, "we didn't enjoy his singing the last time."

This got a laugh around at his expense, and even May who was only still at the Holiday party for the drinks, gave a small smirk.

Jemma however took pity. "Oh leave him alone." Handing over her barely touched glass, she eyed one of the many bottles that Hunter had snuck in. "I'm not sure I can trust the alcohol you brought."

"More for us then," Elena said, although her eyes drifted to Mack as she said it.

Fitz made further protests of his honor, but his ringing phone extracted him from the group to go up to the archives above.

Jemma sat with her friends and coworkers as they pre-gamed for going up to the party that Legal was throwing.

Try as she might she couldn't let herself to get roped into the conversations going about her, or getting deep into her cups. Her eyes kept going upwards to the archives, where Fitz was going around in conversation.

He taken plenty of calls, but lately they had been occurring more frequently leaving him furrowed with worry.

Before she knew she was moving, Jemma strode up toward the archives.

"No, they don't know about it, and they're going to be mad, rightfully mad that I kept quiet, no, no bringing Aida here will change everything down and-" Fitz stopped spotting Jemma on top of the stairs. He gulped. "I have to call you back."

"Simmons," he began.

"Why this is most irregular," Jemma said lightly, "I never would have guessed you weren't going to install Aida here."

"You knew?" he asked sheepishly, and with more than touch of relief.

"Since our conversation on the roof. Once you told me about her, I did my own research about LMDs and I can see why Coulson would be excited." She sighed sadly, "a single person could do all work at a fraction of cost of our entire department."

"Hardly," Fitz began.

Jemma held up a hand to stopper him from waxing poetically, "you don't have to explain."

"It's not what you think." Fitz said softly, "Aida is only here to help."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well," he said glancing at the laughter from believe, "would like me to show you?"

Jemma considered walking back down and chugging whatever alcohol Hunter had elected to bring, but she recognized the other possibility, and possible lingers on his face.

"I would be interested in that."

Jemma had expected him to show her a video on his phone, but instead lead her away from R&D, from SHEILD itself, all the way across town to his lab.

His lab was tiny, but it was remarkable similar to hers, although for some unknown reason there was a stuffed monkey in a lab coat sitting on top of a clock.

"A gift from mother," Fitz said seeing where Jemma's glance had fell, "she has an odd sense of humor."

He cleared his throat, and approached what Jemma had first mistaken for the large freezer used to host specimens. However the scope of it was different, and there was a screen on the front monitoring all sorts of feedback.

"We finished running the longevity test, so she was tucked away to recuperate, but I think she can wake up long enough to see you."

"You don't have to do that."

"Aida would love to meet you. She only really sees the people in this lab. And I," he coughed, "told her a great deal about you."

"You have." Jemma found herself surprised and oddly touched by the thought. They had conversations and interactions these past few weeks, but she didn't think he considered it any more than that.

"Well not just you," Fitz tapped haphazardly at the screen, "I told her all about the others in the lab, because she'll be working with all of you, I'm trying to make sure she had accurate information and –"

"You didn't say she was pretty." The smooth musical voice came out of the case, causing Fitz to nearly jump out of his skin.

Jemma however found herself meeting the clear and very amused eyes of the woman in the box. She looked remarkable human like, in terms of general appearance, but there was something in the way she stood ram straight in the box that made it apparent she was not.

"Aida," Fitz reproved, "you're supposed to be sleeping, how else will avoid over running your memory banks with-"

"Leopold," Aida corrected demurely, "it would be my sensory circuits that would overload not my memory banks."

Jemma pressed a hand to mouth, as Fitz stared flabbergasted.

"Aida!" he whined.

"I'll be quiet, Leopold," Aida said, "I don't wish to embarrass you. Do you want me to fully power down or may I slip into a sleep cycle?"

"Sleep cycle," Fitz murmured, "you have updates tonight."

Aida's lips turned up into the approximation of a human smile. "I know, I reminded you this morning." Her eyes darted back to Jemma. "It was nice to briefly meet you Jemma Simmons. I hope to speak with you later."

Her eyes dimed, and then the lids closed.

"so you see," Fitz said in a oddly strained voice, "this is Aida."

"Well that was interesting," Jemma teased.

"You say she's passes the Turing test?"

"A bit more than that it," Jemma laughed, "you know for an odd moment well, I felt like I was being brought here to meet your wife and I was the other woman."

Fitz didn't quite laugh, but looked away. "I suppose I've been obsessed with her ever since Radcliffe challenged me to improve the LMD program. She became less of a machine, but a person. But," he gulped, "I would say it was the other way around."

"Oh," Jemma said, and then as the words sunk in, her faced flushed, "Oh I didn't realize-"

"I know we're working together, and will be officially since when Aida comes I'll be there to smooth over ripples, and well I promise none of your jobs will be threatened. That's the only reason I kept quiet because Coulson feared because how the office chatter things will get out of hand, and don't want to panic, and I –"

"Oh Fitz" Jemma interrupted his rambling, "you do worry about such silly details. I'll be happy to work with Aida, or any other LMD. I'm actually really interested in learning more, None of the research I found could help me get a good idea. Would you explaining some of it?"

"It's rather a lot," he said. "it'll take at least all night."

Jemma smiled, and hoping arched her eyebrows in manner that suggested more than what she was saying. "You can take as long as you like."

Fitz was more than happy to explain, and to answer the questions she peppered his conversation with.

As they spoke, rapt in each other's attention, Aida's eyelids opened a fraction to look at them.

She noted the proximity, the rise of perspiration, the accelerated heart rates, and smiles that implied that these biological changes were favorable.

A small smile crossed her features once more.

The data that Fitz uploaded into her memory bank about Dr. Jemma Simmons indicated she was a good match for him, and his further lengthy speeches about the brilliant scientist had only increased that compatibility score. Although despite these things, for some incomprehensible reasons nothing had occurred despite prime settings.

However that was easily remedied. In a few days time she'll be in the lab, and she'll be there to ensure that the match is made.

After all she was here to help.

* * *

Note: This is for Fitzsimmons Rom Com Challenge where the movie of choice is _Deskset._


End file.
